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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/26003548">one single thread of gold tied me to you</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyblueskiesfor_you/pseuds/onlyblueskiesfor_you'>onlyblueskiesfor_you</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>destiny is red as the blood we shed [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>The Old Guard (Movie 2020)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Joe's POV, Light Angst, M/M, about the injustice of life, all this happens right after part 1, mild confession time between them, mostly from joe</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>In-Progress</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-08-20</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-06 03:54:43</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>2,064</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/26003548</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/onlyblueskiesfor_you/pseuds/onlyblueskiesfor_you</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>After winning the Battle, Yusuf Al-Kaysani, the son of the Artuquid's right hand, kept the survivors as prisoners. Among the lot was the man he'd been dreaming of for months and with whom he shared a dangerous secret. </p><p><i>''Two souls but with<br/>a single thought<br/>two hearts that beat<br/>as one''</i><br/>-John Keats.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>destiny is red as the blood we shed [2]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1850458</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>29</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>one single thread of gold tied me to you</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>Title from Invisible String by Taylor Swift</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Yusuf Al-Kaysani was deeply asleep on his bed when he heard a thunder rippling outside the opened balcony. The sound echoed in his ears, drawing him out from his dream, his eyes unfolding slowly. A haziness overcasted his mind, the remains of whatever he'd been dreaming dissolving into sand. </p><p><em> Golden sand </em>. </p><p>He rubbed his eyes and sighed, his body facing the skylight on the ceiling. Rain droplets hit the creamy marmol floor. The long white curtains dampened but still dancing gracefully inside the enormous bed-chamber. The king-sized bed faced the granite balcony, so Yusuf lifted himself up enough to be half sat, half-laying over the pillows. He watched the glistening floor and the water gathering there. The dark grey sky rumbling and brightening every once in a while because of a flash of lightning.</p><p>He hadn't had those dreams for months and now, suddenly, it was all his mind could think of. There was a time, not long ago, where he would wake up in the middle of the night in sharp breaths and a drumming heart. And all he could remember was sand and blue eyes. Blue eyes with a glint of green in them. The exact color you would find on the river flow or a field of green grass under a clear summer sky. The reason why he would burst out of those dreams was definitely because of his need to reach the owner of those eyes. He always got so close within reach before the sand would swallow him whole. But after the battle, those dreams had stopped. In fact, he had completely forgotten about them until he saw him. The Christian.</p><p>He let out a deep breath, sinking further into the silvery-silk sheets. One of his hands shifted to rest on his low chest. There was nothing there. Just hard, firm muscles and smooth skin. Nobody would've believed him if he told them he actually died from a wound there. A fatal wound. He recalled the events from his first death. The last thing he saw where a pair of blue-green eyes and everything turned pitch-black. A bright light among the darkness increased and <em>increased </em>until it showered him completely. And then, sounds and the cold hard ground underneath him. When he opened his eyes again it'd felt like waking up from a nightmare. The worst part had been to contemplate his enemy coming back from the arms of Death at the same time as him. </p><p>Everything after that felt surreal. Almost as if he could contemplate the events from afar. And when the first sun rays kissed the ground, Yusuf understood he was not going to let the other men go. He had to, <em>needed</em> <em>to</em> comprehend why was all this happening to them. And so when his father found him -them-, he implored him to keep the man as a prisoner. <em>His</em> prisoner. Eventually, his father accepted reluctantly.</p><p>So here he was, two months later, once again in Aleppo and being chased down by these dreams. Somehow the days seemed longer, more exhausting. Even if he tried to lie to himself that that was not true, deep down he knew that his life - <em> his time </em> - changed completely. He was doomed.</p><p>A fresh breeze entered the room, caressing his skin. The storm calmed almost entirely. It would soon break dawn. And like every night since his return, he got up from his bed, dressed in light linen tunics and walked out of the room barefoot. The halls were illuminated with a soft blue light coming from the large diamond-shaped crystals of the windows. Everything around him looked as it always had, neat and perfect. Not even a cobblestone out of place. </p><p>His heart beat more and more nervously against his chest as his feet dragged him across the castle. The light became gloomy once he reached the top of the stone stairs to the dungeons. This was the moment where he found himself in an internal battle. Descend into the somber void or return to his chamber. His safe, ordinary chamber.</p><p>And like every night, his curiosity forced him to climb down the stairs.</p><p>There were only three prisoners from the hundreds they kept captured since the battle. Some died on their way back to Aleppo from dehydration and others were killed. The few ones who managed to survive were thrown to the dungeons to serve as mere entertainment for the guards to torture. It was pathetic, Yusuf was aware of that, but as his father said to him they were the enemy and if they thought themselves better than them, well, those were the consequences.</p><p>The dungeons were displayed linearly with only a narrowed corridor from the entrance to the end of it. Yusuf pulled one of the torches attached to the wall out and walked all the way to the last cell. He internally regretted coming barefoot, the stone floor was rather filthy and moistened. The yellow-ish torchlight allowed him to see the other two men inside their cells fast asleep. Or maybe not. Probably they were pretending so Yusuf wouldn't take notice of them. Fortunately, he wasn't there for any of those men but for the one, he couldn't stop thinking about.</p><p>As soon as he reached the end, he pointed the torch near the bars to cast the light inside the cell. A pair of blue-green eyes were already on him. A moment passed and then another. The silence fell quite comfortably among them. Yusuf hated that. It irritated him how comfortable he felt around the other man. That's not how it's supposed to be.</p><p>'What brings you to my lovely chamber tonight?' remarked the man in an ironic raspy voice.</p><p>Yusuf stiffened slightly at the sound of his voice, - also ignoring the clenched of his stomach - and lifted his chin nonchalantly 'Nothing much. I simply found myself here'. His Latin wasn't near as good as the other man's but it was a common ground. The second thing they shared other than their curse. </p><p>The prisoner huffed a laugh and stared at him knowingly. Yusuf stared back, jaw-clenched. His poor response didn't pass unnoticed by the other man The thing was that he'd long forgotten the real motives behind his late-night sneak outs. At first, it was easier. He would go to the dungeons, torture the other man, watch him come back to life over and over and then he would leave. Except that now… Now, he found himself waiting longingly for the night to reach its peak so he could meet up with his prisoner. </p><p>The other man hummed 'You look rather fancy with those gowns' he said pointing at him.</p><p>Yusuf frowned indignantly at his perfectly clean clothes. The beginning of a complaint built at the tip of his tongue when he heard a little laugh.</p><p>'I was joking, pagan' a mischievous grin decorating his face. </p><p>Yusuf glanced at him dumbfounded and against his better judgment, his face broke into a half-smile.</p><p>'You should look at yourself, Frank' mumbled with fake irritation this time. The prisoner snorted, shaking his head at him.</p><p>This was what he longed for. Simplicity. Being able to small-talk and don't have to worry about saying the wrong thing. Where formalities didn't have a place. Or responsibilities were left outside the dirty dungeons. There he didn't have to pretend to be politically correct. And It was dangerous. Yusuf was Icarus. The prisoner was the forbidden sun. And if he kept coming down there, not only he would burst into flames but the other man as well.</p><p>Yusuf suddenly felt the weight of his intense glare over him. A lump formed inside his throat and darted his eyes elsewhere. They never spoke much. It wasn't as if incredibly interesting conversations would merge out. Sometimes it was like this. Just stares through the bars that separated them. There were a million things he wanted to ask, a million confessions trapped on his mouth. But he wasn't- he wasn't allowed to ask or even be there.</p><p>'Well, it seems like you won't say a word today' started the prisoner, shifting to sit near the bars and his back against the stone wall. </p><p>Up close he looked terrible, thinner than the average. His cheeks hollowed and his hair and beard were long and matted. Although his eyes still got that spark beneath them, the one that was entirely his.</p><p>'How was your night so far?' asked conveniently.</p><p>Yusuf narrowed his eyes at him 'Seriously?'</p><p>The prisoner shrugged and the corner of his lips lifted 'I have nothing to do here except count the stones of this cell, which but the way, are six thousand eight hundred and forty-three' Yusuf bit his lip to prevent a laugh to escape from them 'and hear my fellas cry to sleep' his chest clenched involuntarily at the mention of the other two men - kids, actually- '. I heard the thunderstorm and the rain. Strangely, it reminded me of my birthplace' the prisoner wasn't looking at Yusuf anymore but the tiny window up near the ceiling 'I close my eyes and I can feel the soft green grass or hear the sound of the river flow' Yusuf couldn't find it on himself to stop his rambling because listening to him talk felt<em> nice </em> 'I definitely regret joining up for the battle…'</p><p>It was the first time he heard him talk about his life before the battle. A mundane life apart from the cell. Yusuf already guessed the prisoner must had been a peasant. And even though he didn't get to live among golden walls and silver platters as Yusuf did, the man still craved for his freedom and the life he had before all this. </p><p>'I didn't have another choice but joining it' murmured Yusuf after a while. Their eyes locked. He waited silently for the other man to comment back but all he got was his full attention 'My father, the general, you know' continued Yusuf 'As his only son it's my duty to follow him like a shadow and fight alongside him. He expects me to become the Artuquid's right hand someday' his stare dropped to the floor and noticed his fingers were fidgeting. He stopped immediately, a voice inside his head -who sounded a lot like his mother- reprimanding him for the action.</p><p>The torchlight was no longer the only one illuminating the dungeons. Outside the small window, the sky was painted in pink and purple. It was time to go. And as if he'd said the last part aloud, the prisoner groaned and stood up. Yusuf straightened up too, keeping his eyes over him. The man studied his posture -his right, impeccable posture- and walked to the bars, folding his arms against his chest.</p><p>'I'm going to tell you something, pagan' began with a serious tone 'You are the one who writes your own destiny' said with a conviction Yusuf never heard before 'All my choices brought me here but my time has not come. Neither yours' Yusuf swallowed, the meaning of the sentence felt like the dagger the other men buried in him on the battlefield 'I won't be here forever. I refuse. And you, you should start thinking if you would rather be your King's personal puppy or if you prefer a little more perspective from the real world. I might not like you but I don't underestimate your intellect'</p><p>Yusuf was baffled. Was he really receiving advice from a talking corpse?</p><p>He huffed a bitter laugh 'As if I need your opinion on the matter' snapped Yusuf.</p><p>The prisoner lifted his eyebrows unimpressed 'Take it or leave it, pagan' he chirped, turning around to the other side of his cell to lay down 'You clearly needed a wake-up call if it bothered you so much' he added as an afterthought.</p><p>Yusuf rolled his eyes irritated at the comment. The man had no idea what he was implying. Yusuf did not have other options, he only had these. His entire life had been planned since his conception. Even worse when his mother learned she wouldn't bear any more children. So, yes, the Frank was talking nonsense. </p><p>He assumed the other prisoners were now fully listening to their bickering, and the guards would soon come down. </p><p>Time was up. </p><p>He glanced one last time at the man and walked out of the dungeons.</p>
  </div><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_foot_notes"><b>Notes for the Chapter:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
          <p>Hi everyone!! it's been a long time (at least for me lol). I hope you've enjoyed this chapter so far and would love to read your opinions (if you had any).<br/>I will try to update as soon as I can, right now my life is a bit messy but writing makes the worries go away for a while, so bear with me, please!!<br/>-Juls</p>
        </blockquote></div></div>
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